A Squib Without A Clue
by Ozma
Summary: Filch finds a Triwizard clue on a narrow staircase and witnesses a confrontation between Snape and Moody. Takes place during Goblet of Fire.


A Squib Without a Clue  
a Harry Potter fan-fic  
by Ozma  
This story takes place during 'Goblet of Fire.'  
Everything really belongs to J.K. Rowling   
Dedicated to Mr. Roberts III at Sugarquill   
(who asked for Filch's view of this particular scene)  
and RADKA at FF.Net  
(whose mention that Snape had talked about Harry's Invisibility Cloak in   
front of Filch inspired the idea)  
  
  
  
  
"Dumbledore happens to trust me," Professor Snape said, through   
clenched teeth. "I refuse to believe that he gave you orders to search   
my office!"  
  
"'Course Dumbledore trusts you," Professor Moody growled back.   
"He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me - I   
say there are spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come   
off, d'you know what I mean?"  
  
Oh, Peeves had really outdone himself this time... the poltergeist   
had stolen a Triwizard clue from one of the schools' champions. And his   
mischief had managed to set two of the Professors against each other!   
  
Now the Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor and the Potions   
Master were snarling and growling at each other like a pair of Hagrid's   
monsters. And Mrs. Norris and I had the misfortune of being here on this   
narrow staircase with them. Caught between two furious wizards is no   
safe place for a Squib and a cat.  
  
Still clutching the heavy golden egg I'd found on the stairs, I   
tried to make myself as unobtrusive as possible. Wisely, Mrs. Norris   
stayed behind me.   
  
Snape and Moody were years beyond the uncontrolled, unfocused   
magical incidents that all normal wizard-children are prone to during   
times of intense emotion. Tight control was second nature to them by   
now. But they were both extremely powerful. The surge and flow of their   
restrained magic seemed to press all around me in this confined space.   
It was heavy, like the pressure in the air before a storm. My head   
throbbed.  
  
Merlin help me, if the pair of them should decide to start dueling   
here. They were certainly angry enough.  
  
Professor Snape had been furious even before Professor Moody had   
joined us. Severus had just discovered that someone had broken into his   
office. Few people would have dared to anger him further when he was   
already in such a foul temper. Mad-Eye Moody was one of those few. In   
fact, the retired Auror seemed to be getting a dark sort of amusement   
from baiting the much younger wizard.  
  
"Get back to bed, Snape," the old Auror's laugh was harsh and full   
of menace.  
  
"You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" The Potions   
Master hissed. Snape's voice was soft and dangerous.  
  
I longed to take my cat, my clue and my leave. But I didn't want   
to draw their attention towards me or Mrs. Norris.  
  
Making an effort to ignore the pounding in my head, I tried to   
think only of Peeves. After a half-century of enduring his taunts, his   
pranks and his mischief, how satisfying it would be to finally be rid of   
him once and for all!   
  
Yes, once the Headmaster saw this egg, he would have no choice.   
The wretched poltergeist would have to be exorcised. Stealing from the   
students was going too far...  
  
"You've dropped something, by the way..." Moody was growling at   
Snape. The old Auror was pointing.  
  
Automatically, my eyes went towards a piece of parchment lying on   
one of the steps. I frowned. Did that parchment seem a bit familiar? No,   
it couldn't be... The one I was thinking of had been safely hidden away   
in one the drawers in my office for a good many years.  
  
Snape was reaching towards the parchment, looking more furious   
than ever. I felt a sudden surge of power from the old Auror.  
  
"My mistake..." the scarred wizard said, calmly, as he Summoned   
the parchment. "It's mine. Must have dropped it earlier."  
  
If Moody was deliberately trying to push Snape right over the   
edge, he was succeeding. Now Snape's eyes were snapping fire as he   
looked from me to Moody.  
  
"Potter!" The Potions Master hissed, more to himself than to   
either of us. "That egg is Potter's egg. That piece of parchment belongs   
to Potter. I have seen it before, I recognize it! Potter is here! Potter   
in his Invisibility Cloak!"  
  
Oh, Merlin! Moody had done it now. Poor Severus! He's really quite   
irrational on the subject of Harry Potter. He can't help it, I suppose.   
He and James Potter had spent years getting each other into trouble, and   
Harry is the very image of his father. Harry seemed to turn the clock   
backward for Severus. The Potions Master became an angry boy once more,   
pointing an accusing finger and shouting, "It's all Potter's fault!"  
  
As for Potter having an Invisibility Cloak, Severus had been   
insistent on the subject ever since the boy's first year. But, I'd gone   
to the top of the Astronomy Tower on that night three years earlier,   
when Potter, Granger, Longbottom and Malfoy had all been caught roaming   
the corridors. I'd found absolutely nothing there.   
  
Invisibility Cloaks are extremely rare and valuable. Too much so   
for me to believe that any underage wizard would have one in his   
possession. I hadn't even bothered to include them on my List of Objects   
Forbidden Inside the Castle.  
  
I certainly do agree with Snape that Harry Potter is a   
troublemaker. Wandering about the corridors at night in his first year,   
flying a car to school in his second, sneaking out to the grounds at   
night to fight Dementors in his third!   
  
But not even Fred and George Weasley at their worst could have   
managed to do half of what Snape accused Potter of doing.(For example,   
why would the boy help Sirius Black, the Dark wizard who'd betrayed   
Potter's own parents to their deaths, escape justice? It made no sense   
to me at all.)  
  
Now, with hands outstretched, Severus was moving slowly up the   
stairs, looking for all the world as if he was expecting to find Potter   
lurking there, unseen.   
  
Even through my awful headache I felt embarrassed for him,   
behaving in such an illogical way in front of Moody.  
  
"There's nothing there, Snape!" Moody barked. "But I'll be happy   
to tell the Headmaster how quickly your mind jumped to Harry Potter!"  
  
"Meaning what?" Severus asked him, glowering. His hands were still   
outstretched.  
  
"Meaning that Dumbledore's very interested to know who's got it in   
for that boy. And so am I, Snape. Very interested."  
  
Severus lowered his hands. "I merely thought that if Potter was   
wandering around after hours again... it's an unfortunate habit of   
his... he should be stopped. For - for his own safety."  
  
"Good," I thought, in relief. He was returning to his senses.   
"Very good. I couldn't have said it better myself."  
  
Moody did not seem convinced. "Ah, I see. Got Potter's best   
interests at heart, have you?"  
  
The two professors locked eyes once more. Again, their magic   
surged and roiled. Pain throbbed dully behind my eyes. I tried to gather   
up my courage. It was terribly unfair of Moody to suspect Severus of any   
wrong-doing. Someone ought to tell the old Auror about how Severus had   
spent an entire year shielding Potter from an agent of He Who Must Not   
Be Named...!   
  
I tried to speak but I felt too intimidated and the words wouldn't   
come.  
  
The silence stretched unbearably. Then my sweet cat shattered it   
with a loud meow.  
  
"I think I will go back to bed," Severus said, curtly. He was   
still glaring at Moody.  
  
"Best idea you've had all night," Moody answered. Then, his   
mismatched eyes both locked onto me.  
  
"Now, Filch, if you'll just give me that egg - "  
  
"No!" I cried, clutching my prize tightly. Not the egg... I needed   
it. Oh, why hadn't I run from them when they'd been ignoring me?   
"Professor Moody, this is evidence of Peeves' treachery!"  
  
"It's the property of the champion he stole it from," Moody told   
me, gruff and very stern. "Hand it over, now."  
  
Desperate, I looked to Professor Snape for help. I had explained   
matters to him before the old Auror had found us. Surely he understood   
how important this egg was to me! But the Potions Master swept past me,   
going down the stairs without saying a word.  
  
It's my own fault, I thought, bitterly. I'd been too cowardly to   
defend Severus against Moody's accusations, and here was my reward. The   
Potions Master didn't want to speak up for me.  
  
The expression in Moody's dark, beady eye was hard. His electric-  
blue eye was rolling about crazily. The effect would have been   
frightening, even without the feel of his power which was still making   
my head throb.   
  
My shoulders sagged. Even for a chance at finally winning my long   
battle with Peeves, I did not dare to stand up to Mad-Eye Moody on my   
own. Obediently, I gave the egg to him. Then, making a soft noise to   
tell Mrs. Norris to follow, I stumbled away from the scarred Auror, down   
the stairs.  
  
"Never mind, my sweet," I muttered. "We'll see Dumbledore in the   
morning... tell him what Peeves was up to..." Even so, I knew my case   
was hopeless without the Triwizard clue to show as evidence.  
  
Rubbing my temples, I made my way into the nearest empty   
classroom. I sat despondently at one of the desks, my head in my hands.   
Mrs. Norris jumped up on my lap, purring softly.  
  
The sound of a door slamming startled me. Professor Snape had just   
come into the room, shutting the door behind him.  
  
*******  
  
"Listen to me, Filch. Peeves had absolutely nothing to do with   
that egg! It was POTTER!"  
  
"With all due respect, Professor, you always think it's Potter."  
  
"With no respect whatsoever, Filch, you always think it's Peeves!"   
  
"Professor, after all the years I've spent with that poltergeist   
as a thorn in my side I think I should know Peeves' handiwork by now."  
  
"Yes, you should, but you don't. You are completely   
misinterpreting the significance of the clue on the stairs!"   
  
"No, I'm not. As I've told you before, Professor, I've never seen   
any sign of this Invisibility Cloak of Potter's."  
  
"Of course not, you fool! That's the whole point, isn't it? We   
won't see him, but that cat of yours will surely pick up his scent! If   
you and Mrs. Norris will help me find Potter, I'll convince you that the   
cloak exists!"  
  
Ordinarily I would have gleefully jumped at the chance to go   
student-hunting. But the headache, fading now, had left me wrung out and   
exhausted. And my disappointment over the loss of the Triwizard clue had   
taken a toll as well.  
  
"I see no point in searching the Castle for Potter when he is   
probably asleep in his bed," I said, trying not to sound too curt.   
  
Snape regarded me with narrowed eyes.  
  
"You're sulking because Mad-Eye took that egg from you," he   
snarled.  
  
I didn't have the energy to deny the accusation. Especially since   
I was guilty as charged. "Wouldn't it make more sense for you to try   
convincing the Headmaster instead of me?" I asked him, wearily.  
  
Snape scowled. "The Headmaster knows about the cloak. He has known   
about it ever since it belonged to James Potter."  
  
"Now I know that you're mistaken," I said, vehemently. "Dumbledore   
would confiscate the cloak if it existed and he knew about it! Whether   
Invisibility Cloaks are on my List or not, no student should have such a   
thing! It's quite inconceivable that the Headmaster would condone it.   
He's the Headmaster! Why, i-it just wouldn't be right!"  
  
Snape looked at me for a very long moment. His expression was   
furious and frustrated.   
  
I waited for him to argue further. But, to my surprise he managed   
a wry, bitter smile instead. "Thank you, Filch."  
  
"You're welcome," I said, confused. "What exactly are you thanking   
me for?"  
  
He sighed. "Despite your unparalleled talent for cluelessness,   
perhaps you'll understand fully one day. And when you do, I hope that   
you will tell the Headmaster exactly what you've just told me. Give me   
your word on it."  
  
"Of course, Professor. B-But..."  
  
"It's late, Filch. I'm going to bed. Good night."  
  
After he left, I sighed and looked down at Mrs. Norris.  
  
"Do you understand what just happened here, my sweet? I certainly   
don't."  
  
My cat looked up at me, enigmatic as a sphinx. Unable to explain   
even if she wanted to, she simply purred.  
  
  
The End  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes:   
  
  
I'm assuming that Dumbldore took Harry's Invisibility Cloak out of the   
Astronomy Tower back in Harry's first year before Filch ever got a   
chance to see it. The idea of Filch spending years wondering how Harry   
gets around the Castle without being seen tickles me.  
  
  
My thanks to everyone who reviewed Chapter Five of "Squib Apprentice!!"  
  
  
Saphron: Thank you!! I hope that you're feeling better! Yes, Hagrid is   
nice, isn't he? I really adore the big lug. "Squib Apprentice" happens   
entirely after the Chamber of Secrets was opened for the first time.  
  
Alchemine: Thanks again for the loan of Madam Valerian!!   
  
Who do the house-elves report to? Hmm. Good question. My guess would be   
the Headmaster/Headmistress. In Dippet's time, the Headmaster might have   
decided if an elf deserved to be punished and then the elf would be   
handed over to Pringle.  
  
In Dumbledore's time, I would imagine that the elves answer to him. I'd   
also guess that most of the elves at Hogwarts don't need to be punished   
very often.  
  
Unrepentant Reader: Thank you!! Green-and-silver can't help but love Tom   
Riddle. Each Door is devoted to its Heir.  
  
Jelsemium: Howdy Pardner! And Thank you!! Poor Dippet finds Hagrid   
rather alarming. Ideas for future chapters of "Squib Apprentice are   
still forming. Anything's possible... I'd love to write the Marauders.  
  
Elektra: Thank you!! Yes, Tom did modify Filch's memory. He made Filch   
forget their conversation. But, since Tom wasn't aware of the surges of   
magic and emotion Filch felt, he couldn't make the Squib forget about   
that.  
  
Oooh! I'd love to read young Minerva's opinions of Filch!  
  
Snapefan51: Thank you!! Filch's helper was Tom Riddle. At the time that   
"Squib Apprentice" takes place, Filch is nineteen years old. Severus   
hasn't been born yet.  
  
RowanRhys: Thank you!! And thank you for nominating me for the Bloody   
Brilliant Award, too!!  
  
The Amazing Maurice: Thank you!!  
  
Andrea13: Thank you!! Yes, green-and-silver will pine terribly for Tom   
Riddle when he's gone.  
  
Lilaeth: Thank you!!  
  
Aniwda: Thank you!!  
  
Persephone Kore: Thank you!! Tom suspected that Filch was too ill to   
remember their conversation very clearly. But he didn't want to take any   
chances. 


End file.
